CHEETAH
The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a large-sized feline (family felidae, subfamily Felinae) inhabiting most
of Africa and parts of the Middle East.
It is the only extant
member of the genus Acinonyx. The
cheetah can run faster than any other land animal— as fast as 112 to 120 km/h
(70 to 75 mph) in short bursts
covering distances up to 500 m (1,600 ft), and has the ability to
accelerate from 0 to over 100 km/h (62 mph) in three seconds This cat
is also notable for modifications in the species' paws. It is one of the few
felids with semi-retractable claws.
The word "cheetah"
is derived from the Sanskrit word citrakāyaḥ, meaning "variegated", via the Hindi 'चीता' (cītā).
Genetics and classification
The genus name, Acinonyx, means
"no-move-claw" in Greek, while the species name, jubatus, means
"maned" or "crested" in Latin, a reference to the dorsal
crest found in cheetah cubs.
King cheetah
The king cheetah is a rare mutation of cheetah characterized by a
distinct fur pattern. It was first noted in what was then Southern Rhodesia
(modern-day Zimbabwe) in 1926. In 1927, the naturalist Reginald Innes Pocock declared it a separate species, but reversed
this decision in 1939 due to lack of evidence, but in 1928, a skin purchased by Walter
Rothschild was found to be
intermediate in pattern between the king cheetah and spotted cheetah and Abel
Chapman considered it to be a color form of the spotted cheetah. Twenty-two
such skins were found between 1926 and 1974. Since 1927, the king cheetah was
reported five more times in the wild. Although strangely marked skins had come
from Africa, a live king cheetah was not photographed until 1974 in South
Africa's Kruger National Park. Cryptozoologists Paul and Lena Bottriell photographed one during an expedition in
1975. They also managed to obtain stuffed specimens. It appeared larger than a
spotted cheetah and its fur had a different texture. There was another wild
sighting in 1986—the first in seven years. By 1987, thirty-eight specimens had
been recorded, many from pelts.
Range and habitat
There are several geographically isolated populations of cheetah,
all of which are found in Africa or southwestern Asia. A small population
(estimated at about fifty) survive in the Khorasan Province of Iran, where
conservationists are taking steps to protect them.[18]
It is possible, though doubtful, that some cheetahs remain in
India.[citation needed] There have also been several unconfirmed reports of
Asiatic Cheetahs in the Balochistan province of Pakistan, with at least one
dead animal being discovered recently.[19]
The cheetah thrives in areas with vast expanses of land where prey
is abundant. The cheetah likes to live in an open biotope, such as semidesert,
prairie, and thick brush, though it can be found in a variety of habitats. In
Namibia, for example, it lives in grasslands, savannahs, areas of dense
vegetation, and mountainous terrain. In much of its former range, the cheetah was tamed by aristocrats
and used to hunt antelopes in much the same way as is still done with members
of the greyhound group of dogs.
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Source: Wikipedia.org
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